MJ CARLOS
MJ, the designer behind Hello Yellow Yarn, told us: “My love of yarn started about four years ago when arm knitting was trending online. I was fascinated by it, so I gave it a go. I decided to learn knitting using proper needles and started making simple scarves and hats for my kids.
My daughter saw a picture of a crocheted rose and wanted me to make one for her hat. I didn’t know how to crochet, so I browsed crochet patterns online, discovered amigurumi and fell in love with the craft! The first amigurumi I made was a cat for my daughter. She loved it so much and took it to bed with her every night, then she wanted me to make a different type of animal. Her enthusiasm inspired me to keep creating.
“My early designs, which were an elephant, a giraffe and a puppy, are close to my heart. They’re a few of my designs that have been well received by the crochet community.
I had a lot of self-doubt, but the positive feedback and kinds words I received was a huge help in boosting my confidence.
“By the end of 2015, I became very passionate about crochet. I decided to leave my corporate job to work full-time as an amigurumi designer. I was very shy for many years and I found crochet was a way to come out of my shell. I connected with people from around the world through social media, made new friends and entered design competitions, none of which I thought
I could achieve in such a short timeframe.
“I often get my inspiration from my kids – they both take turns naming my amigurumi animals, and they come up with funny, quirky characteristics for each project.”
Find MJ at www.helloyellowyarn.com, on Facebook as Hello Yellow Yarn and on Instagram as @maryjcarlos